Is Your Floss Toxic? How to Find and Use Safe Dental Floss

It might be a question you’ve never considered, but are you using safe dental floss?

Flossing your teeth is a key component to excellent dental health. But you may be surprised to know what some manufacturers use to make this important dental necessity more marketable.

Is dental floss toxic? Some types of floss are made with toxic chemicals like Teflon. I’m also concerned about the impact of nylon on the environment, though I don’t see it as a toxin in the same way as Teflon.

I want to tell you about the ways toxic floss is made and provide a few alternatives for safe dental floss for your entire family.

Let’s take a look.

Toxic Ingredients in Dental Floss

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Teflon

Yes, you are reading that word right: Teflon.

One of the ingredients used to make waxed floss is the same chemical group as the coating on many brands of non-stick pans.

Granted, you aren’t likely to swallow floss or ingest large amounts of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). But PTFE and PFOA (a related chemical) have been linked to adverse health conditions such as thyroid disease.

This is important because the most dangerous ways you may be exposed to Teflon are food and floss. Even tiny particles making it into your system are likely to cause serious issues.

Teflon exposure has been linked to:

Hormone imbalance
Cancer (1)
Autoimmune disease (2)
Neurotoxicity and Alzheimer’s disease (3, 4)

Before you feel overwhelmed by this information, let me encourage you: there are some quality alternatives to the popular brands we are used to seeing. I will recommend some of my favorites later in this post.

One of my personal favorites used to be Glide Pro-Health floss by Oral B. Once I discovered it was coated with Teflon, though, I quickly began looking for a healthier option.

See my top options in the “Safe Dental Floss to Try” section below.

Petroleum

Not only are nylon and polyester flosses made from petroleum, the wax on most conventional floss is also petroleum-derived.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) gives petrolatum, or petroleum, a rating of 4/10 when used in personal care items.

I should start by saying that there isn’t much research at all when it comes to petroleum in floss.

What I can tell you is that topical petroleum seems to carry some risks.

The EWG estimates that 22% of personal care products that contain petroleum-based substances are contaminated with 1,4-dioxane and up to two dozen other toxins. (5) 1,4-dioxane is carcinogenic to animals when inhaled regularly. (6)

Using petroleum products with infants resulted in an increased chance for candidiasis, according to one study. (7) This is especially important because candidiasis of the mouth, called oral thrush, is a common problem for children.

Finally, petroleum products may behave as endocrine disruptors. (8) These are natural or synthetic chemicals that act like hormones your body produces.

We’re all exposed to at least a low level of endocrine disruptors throughout our lives, but there are people more sensitive to these chemicals than others.

Now, you might be reading this in horror, thinking, “Oh no! I should stop flossing forever!”

If that’s the case, let me take a moment to reassure you: There is no established link between using floss and cancer, oral thrush, or hormonal conditions. When you floss, your body is exposed to very little of the compounds found in petroleum.

The key here is that if you can avoid even the smallest amount of these chemicals…why not?

To give you a little perspective…If a patient asked me what was better, to floss with petroleum-coated floss, or to stop flossing, I would say keep flossing with the same stuff.

Why? Because there is a direct link between not flossing and more oral disease. Since what happens in the mouth happens in the body, failing to floss can open the door to a host of problems.

If you’re interested in safer floss options that don’t use petroleum, keep reading.

Nylon + polyester

Most floss is made from nylon, while some brands have started using polyester. Both of these are petroleum-based products.

Dictionary.com defines nylon as: “A tough, lightweight, elastic synthetic polymer with a protein-like chemical structure, able to be produced as filaments, sheets, or molded objects.”

Little pieces of nylon and petroleum can break off from your floss. The question is: where does it go? Do you swallow it?

It’s not something the body can break down any more than nylon products can break down in a garbage dump.

I don’t want that in my body—it reminds me of those toxic, plastic rings they find in the ocean. Where is it going? We aren’t sure. And we don’t know what’s happening to it later on.

While where it goes in my body is important, I’m even more concerned about the way nylon and polyester impact the environment.

Neither of these materials are biodegradable. We have no way of knowing the impact they have in dumps and landfills.

Plus, the production of nylon creates chemicals that can pollute both the air and water. (9)

However, if it’s between nylon/polyester or Teflon…I recommend nylon every time. In fact, some of the flosses I recommend contain nylon.

I want to be clear here: nylon is likely not toxic in the same way Teflon is toxic to your body. I’m more uncomfortable with a) what we don’t know about nylon yet and b) the way its production hurts the environment.

Fragrance

Although it might not be something you watch out for in floss, some brands use synthetic fragrance chemicals to flavor their floss. In fact, I used to promote the largest brand guilty of it!

Synthetic fragrance chemicals are often derived from petroleum and have been linked to major health problems like cancer, brain disease, allergies, and even birth defects. They’re frequently comprised of phthalates, which disrupt hormones and are generally substances to avoid throughout your life.

Many other countries have banned the majority of these chemicals, but the US has over 3,000 “approved” fragrance chemicals. Companies don’t have to disclose what fragrance chemicals are used in their products; they simply add the word “fragrance” to ingredient labels.

If you’re using a flavored floss, check to ensure it’s flavored with a natural substance and not synthetic fragrance.

Do I really need to floss?

This is easiest question I’ve ever answered! YES, flossing is absolutely essential to good oral and dental health.

Many people have argued that, although they don’t floss, they regularly brush. They have a pain-free mouth, and never see food between their teeth.

While that may seem proof-positive that flossing isn’t necessary, seeing isn’t always believing. Bacteria can be microscopic and invisible to the eye. Even if your teeth are not tightly spaced, food particles can be trapped, creating a home in which plaque and tartar happily reside.

And while it may not cause physical pain, it will seriously affect your teeth over time. In addition to that, what’s in your mouth is swallowed into your body. This bacteria has been the cause of serious health issues.

In the article, Why Shouldn’t We Ignore the Oral Microbiome, I address the vital connection between the oral and intestinal microbiome.

Most dentists overlook the importance of this connection. But it’s simply too important to overlook, and forming proper, simple dental habits are the first key to achieving overall body health.

So, which is more important: brushing or flossing? Actually, I’d say it’s flossing!

I know that’s surprising for many people to hear. But, especially if you follow a mostly Paleo or keto type diet with limited starchy carbs, brushing is probably not as vital as you think.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m definitely not advocating you stop brushing your teeth.

Safe Dental Floss to Try

Is there a best safe dental floss? Here are some best dental floss options I’ve found.

Frequently Asked Questions about Safe Dental Floss

Let’s recap.

Some common dental floss brands use toxic, harmful chemicals and substances.

The chemicals in Teflon may pass to your bloodstream through the sensitive blood vessels in the mouth. PTFE and PFOA have some incredibly dangerous impacts on human health, so I recommend avoiding Teflon floss altogether. (The most common Teflon floss is Glide Pro-Health floss.)

Many types of floss are coated in petroleum. The science behind petroleum and the human body is somewhat limited, but exposure to a lot of it is associated with some nasty stuff. On the whole, I would recommend you avoid petroleum-waxed floss if you can.

Nylon is not actually a toxic substance like Teflon. However, nylon is not biodegradable (which is concerning to me if it’s able to accumulate in the body). This fact, coupled with the manufacturing process creating harmful chemicals that pollute the air and water, makes it clear that nylon is a poor environmental choice.

Sure, it’s safe to assume most people don’t swallow their floss. But the way floss is supposed to be used makes it impossible to keep these chemicals from coming off the floss and out into your mouth.

Here’s the great news—you’ve got healthy options to choose from!

Maybe you’ll choose beeswax or coconut oil as an alternative to chemical coating of floss. Maybe you will choose unwaxed floss.

But what’s most important is the choice to floss!

If you have any additional questions about flossing, just ask me and I’ll respond personally.